The Setting
Industry: Law Enforcement
Location: 200 sites across Great Britain
Founded: 1974
Officers and Administration: >10,000

The UK Law Enforcement Agency monitoring initiative was “administered and architected” by a Sr. Network Communications Analyst using Windows Server 2003 Enterprise Edition and three dedicated servers. The Agency spans 9,000 client computers at nearly 200 physical locations with as few as 2-3 PCs and as many as 500 PCs per site. A Spector 360 User is responsible for day-to-day monitoring.

The Challenge
“Our main concern is leakage of information,” said the Spector 360 User from the major UK Law Enforcement Agency. “The whole purpose of buying Spector 360 is an effort to detect leaking of information … the main risk being leakage to organized crime. We store vast information about all sorts of people … criminals … and those who help the UK Law Enforcement Agency. Leakage can put people’s lives at risk.”

Said the Analyst: “It’s a big security angle. We work with highly-prized, valuable data.”

Search for a Solution
“We had an operation where we needed to monitor a number of computers in one of the UK Law Enforcement Agency stations,” said the Spector 360 User.

The UK Law Enforcement Agency tried using a popular remote control software package but called the method a “mismatch of technology.”

“The program operated in poor fashion, providing nowhere near the smooth technology we needed to be able to adopt the strategy,” said the Analyst.

Another monitoring concept attempted but abandoned involved “an IT repair tool.”

“In addition to its limited features, the program showed up as an icon on the computer desktop so anyone PC-literate would know it was on and running,” said the Analyst. “At that point I searched the Internet and found SpectorSoft and Spector 360.”

After receiving thorough features, benefits, and technical presentations from Snapguard, SpectorSoft’s exclusive distributor in the UK, the Analyst said: “It looked like Spector 360 had everything we needed.”

Following additional, stringent internal review, the Analyst said Spector 360 was rolled out to 1,000 computers as ‘proof of concept’ and that the operation “proved very successful.”

Discoveries
“During our Spector 360 evaluation we caught an officer leaking information … information he apparently planned to sell,” said the Spector 360 User. “So from day one Spector 360 lived up to expectations.”

• The UK Law Enforcement Agency uses Spector 360 on a “per investigation” basis.

“We use Spector 360 purely for criminal investigations,” said the Spector 360 User. “In an operation, we start off with an overview of system usage. Then, because we’re criminally investigating, we can target a specific person or persons.”

• The Analyst said the initiative uses a two-level monitoring strategy. With Spector 360 deployed across the entire UK Law Enforcement Agency, all PCs are monitored identically, and without screen snapshots enabled. When a criminal investigation on a person or persons has been initiated, screen snapshots are turned on.

Working with Employees
“As a UK Law Enforcement Agency, we don’t even refer to the software by name,” said the Spector 360 User. “I’m quite convinced from talking to IT that PC users will not be able to notice the software at all.”

Despite keeping the name of the program to itself, the UK Law Enforcement Agency makes it clear that computer activity and Internet use is monitored.

“When users boot up, there is a login notice stating that the computer is subject to monitoring,” said the Spector 360 User. “The login is not specific to Spector 360. It does, however, make it clear that there is a risk arising from inappropriate use … including dismissal. Various parts of our Acceptable Use Policy are described … downloading prohibited files and programs, use of properly licensed software programs only … and of course the all-inclusive statement that the PC is to be used for UK Law Enforcement Agency purposes only.”

Awareness
“When it comes to officers and staff, monitoring is something that’s been an assumption,” said the Spector 360 User. “The perception is that there’s a capability, but complacency sets in and that’s when leakage starts.”

Said the Analyst: “I consider myself quite technical and I feel it takes an outstanding product to impress me. Spector 360 has done just that… it’s controllable, silent, and extremely powerful.”

• “Time to learn what we needed for our investigations was minimal,” said the Spector 360 User. “I found Spector 360 user-friendly … I was very impressed. Once you use the Dashboard, you can get through the program quite simply.”

• The Spector 360 User described Spector 360 as powerful and feature-rich.

“The more we use it, the more we learn,” he said. “We’ve just scratched the surface, really. As we become more proficient, we’ll find more options and benefits.”

• “All of us in IT are used to standard logs that are difficult to go through,” said the Analyst. “Spector 360 did not present anything like that. I have worked IT for 10 years and was very impressed from the start. Honestly, I was taken aback at how good Spector 360 is at what it does, and also that it does it without the PC user being aware.

“I was also impressed with how easy we were able to roll it out on a large scale. When an application is deployed en masse, I expect to encounter lots of challenges. Spector 360 presented none of that. We rolled it out across three servers … on its own that’s a big feat. There were no errors or complaints … a pleasant surprise especially when you’ve experienced how executables normally work.”

• Said the Analyst: “The screenshots ... just play them back … powerful! The logs, charts, and reports … very powerful stuff! The Spector 360 product overall … surprisingly easy!”

• The Analyst said his positive experience with Spector 360 extends to SpectorSoft’s highly regarded Technical Support.

“I’ve been very impressed with support from Snapguard in the UK and also SpectorSoft in the States,” he said. “Using the telephone live and also benefiting from the prompt email, distance has never been an issue. Just to experience that level of commitment is a boost … great to have available.”

• “Even though Spector 360 is competitively priced, I’m not sure cost should be considered primary when you consider what we’re trying to achieve,” said the Spector 360 User. “If we’re preventing loss of life, then cost seems to come in second place.”

• “Spector 360 is an excellent audit tool … one that can lower cost of IT ownership,” said the Analyst. “It gives us assurance we can accurately control information if requested. We have the ability to provide information quickly, down to the user level. I can provide details easily.

“Plus, because Spector 360 is so intuitive and easy to use, information can be accessed by others, without having to involve IT.”

“Given the highly sensitive nature of our data, if we’re preventing information leakage with Spector 360, we could be preventing loss of life,” said the Spector 360 User. “In that sense you could say the mission is man-rated. Spector 360 could be a real life-saver.”

The Analyst, however, did find reason to voice disappointment over one aspect of his Spector 360 experience.

“Because of the confidential nature of our use, I can’t really sing its praises,” he said. “It’s a crying shame … it’s so successful.”